Fox Animation Studios Cuts 2/3 of Staff

Share.

By Brian Linder

Variety is reporting that Fox Animation Studios will lay off two-thirds of their staff of 320 in Phoenix, Arizona.¿ Reportedly the studio isn't cutting back on animated films, but will be "contracting out" later-stage animation work to independent firms in order to cut costs.

Studio spokesman Chris Meledandri is quoted as saying, "It's never easy letting go of people who've done great work for you, but it's a more efficient and practical way to run our business in the current environment."

The article continues:

The main creative elements of art direction, character design, storyboarding and animation will continue to be handled inhouse in Phoenix. But other parts of the filmmaking process will now be contracted out.

When the Phoenix studio was founded, there was a shortage of talent available for all phases of animated production, Meledandri explained. ""It was common belief that if you didn't have all those artists under contract 52 weeks a year, you wouldn't be able to make your film.''

But with a worldwide boom in the past few years in independent production outfits pursuing animated work, Fox feels the shortage has been alleviated.

The layoffs will leave the number of employees in Phoenix at less than 100.

Fox also has roughly 100 employees at its New York-based digital animation studio, Blue Sky Animation, where the film ''Ice Age'' is under production.

The studio also has another film, ""Monkey Bone,'' which combines live- action and stop-motion animation, in production in San Francisco, but not at an ongoing animation production facility.

It is also reported that Fox is likely to announce two new animated films going into pre-production in the near future.¿ Stay tuned to FilmForce!